Famous music producer and rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs has voluntarily withdrawn his appeal against the decision to deny him bail. This means that the 55-year-old founder of the Bad Boy label will remain in custody until his criminal trial, which is scheduled for May 5, 2025. This was reported by Rolling Stone, according to UNN.
Combs was arrested on September 16 on charges of human trafficking and racketeering. He has pleaded not guilty, and if convicted, he faces life in prison.
Combs' lawyers actively sought his release, offering a $50 million bail package. As a guarantee, they offered a Miami mansion, passports of several of the rapper's children, round-the-clock supervision and regular drug tests. However, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian rejected the motion for the third time, agreeing with the arguments of prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, who called Combs a danger to society and accused him of trying to pressure witnesses from behind bars.
Last week, Combs' lawyers filed documents to withdraw the appeal.
“Mr. Combs does not intend to appeal the court's decision to deny the second bail application and voluntarily withdraws the appeal,” the court materials state.
The charges against Combs are largely based on the testimony of his former partner, singer Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura. In November 2023, she filed a lawsuit accusing the rapper of sex trafficking and sexual assault. According to her, during their relationship, which lasted more than a decade, Combs forced her to have sex with male sex workers under threats of physical violence, professional pressure, and disclosure of the videos. She also alleges that she was kept in submission due to her drug addiction.
Although Combs denied the allegations and reached a private settlement with Ventura the very next day, the lawsuit triggered an avalanche of similar cases. Federal investigators launched an investigation, and more than 30 civil lawsuits were filed against the producer in New York and California. Combs, through his representatives, has repeatedly emphasized that he trusts the facts and the integrity of the judicial process.
Recall
The rapper Jay-Z was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 along with P. Diddy's Sean Combs.